Denver Excise and License: Security Guard Requirements

To work as a security guard in Denver, you need a license from the city’s Department of Excise and Licenses, and the Denver security guard license requirements come down to six things: a job offer from a licensed security employer, 16 hours of approved pre-application training, a fingerprint-based background check through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, a physician-signed fitness certificate, a set of supporting documents uploaded online, and $50 in fees ($25 application, $25 license).¹ The license is good for one year.

Working without a license is illegal under the municipal code, and a licensed employer can’t put you on a job without one either.² The rule covers all security work inside city limits, whether that’s a residential building, a commercial site, or event security.

Age and Employer Sponsorship

You must be at least 18 to apply, or 21 if you want a firearm endorsement.² You also cannot apply speculatively. Denver requires a letter of hire from a licensed private security employer before it will process your application, and the employer must hold its own separate private security employer license.³ Line up the job first.

Training You Have To Complete First

You need at least 16 hours of initial training from a provider on the Department of Excise and Licenses’ approved list.⁴ Certificates from other schools do not count. The certificate must be dated within 60 days of your application, so don’t take the course months ahead of time.¹

The city also requires you to watch a set of online training videos on the department’s website before submitting your application. That’s a separate step from the 16-hour course.

Background Check Through the CBI

Denver requires a fingerprint-based criminal history check through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, covering both state and FBI records.⁵ The CBI charges $39.50 for the combined state and federal search, plus a service fee at the fingerprinting vendor (IdentoGO or Colorado Fingerprinting). Budget roughly $50 to $75 total.

Your CBI results must be dated within 60 days of submission, and when you upload them the city wants a single combined file, in chronological order, with no pages upside down. Sloppy uploads are a common reason applications come back for correction.¹

Criminal History That Will Disqualify You

The licensing ordinance lists specific convictions that will cause a denial, measured from the conviction date or release from incarceration, whichever is more recent, going back five years:⁶

Any felony in the past five years.
Fraud, theft, or deceit misdemeanors in the past five years.
Violence offenses in the past five years, including assault, child abuse, and domestic violence.
A prior denial, suspension, or revocation of a Denver security guard license within five years.
A conviction for performing security work in Denver without a license.

The department can also deny an application on broader grounds if your overall character and conduct don’t demonstrate honesty, fairness, or respect for the law.² The same grounds support suspension or revocation of a license you already hold.

Documents To Gather

Everything goes in as a PDF or JPG. Paper is not accepted. You need:¹

A certificate of security guard training from an approved provider, dated within 60 days.
A certificate of physical and mental fitness signed by a physician, a Colorado-licensed physician’s assistant, or a Colorado-licensed registered nurse, dated within 60 days.⁷
A valid state or federal photo ID (driver’s license, passport, or similar).
A headshot photo meeting the city’s badging criteria.
A letter of hire from your intended employer, dated within 60 days.
Your CBI results, dated within 60 days, uploaded as a single combined file.

Every legal document has to be signed and dated. Incomplete applications get rejected, and you have 12 months from when you start an application to finish it before you have to begin again.

Submitting and Paying

The application lives in the Denver Permitting and Licensing Center, the city’s online portal.⁸ Create an account, go to the Business/Occupational licensing section, pick the security guard license type, upload your documents, fill in the form, and pay the $25 application fee plus the $25 license fee. The portal accepts bank transfers and Visa, Mastercard, or Discover.¹ You can save and resume within 30 days; past that, you lose your progress.

What Happens After You Submit

The department aims to complete an initial review of a complete application within seven business days. If anything’s missing or wrong, you’ll get a notice of deficiency by email and have 14 days to fix it.¹ Watch your inbox. Missing the 14-day window can sink the application.

Once approved, the city emails your professional license and a temporary badge document valid for 10 calendar days. The permanent badge comes by mail to the address on your application. The license is valid for one year from issuance.⁹

If You’ll Be Armed or in Plainclothes

A standard license covers unarmed, uniformed work. Carrying a firearm or working in plainclothes requires endorsements on top of the base license:

Firearm endorsement: an employer letter of firearm endorsement request dated within 60 days, plus a firearm training certification completed within the past six months. Minimum age 21.²
Plainclothes endorsement: an employer letter of plainclothes endorsement request.
Combined firearm and unlimited plainclothes: a concealed handgun permit. Retired officers qualifying under the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act can submit LEOSA identification and supporting documentation instead.¹
Explosive detection canine endorsement: an employer letter plus a valid explosive detection canine certificate.

Keeping the License in Good Standing

Carry your license on you during every shift and wear your badge while on duty. If your home address, mailing address, or employer changes, notify the Department of Excise and Licenses within 72 hours of the change.¹⁰ The clock starts when the change happens, not when you remember. The same grounds that justify denial can be used to suspend or revoke an active license.⁶

Renewal

Licenses expire after one year. Renewal runs through the same online portal and asks for a current training certificate (completed within the past 90 days for renewals), a fresh letter of hire, and updated CBI results. Review takes seven to 14 business days.⁹ Working with an expired license is illegal under the ordinance, so start renewing well before the expiration date. Let it lapse too long and you may have to apply as a new applicant from scratch.

1
City and County of Denver. New Security Guard Application
2
City and County of Denver. Denver Revised Municipal Code – Ordinance CB 17-1177
3
City and County of Denver. Private Security Employer
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City and County of Denver. Security Guard Training Providers
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Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Employment and Background Checks
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City and County of Denver. Security Guard Advisory Committee Causes for Denial
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City and County of Denver. Certificate of Physical and Mental Fitness – Security Guard Application
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City and County of Denver. Denver Permitting and Licensing Center
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City and County of Denver. Renewal Security Guard Application
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City and County of Denver. Security Guard Amendments and Notifications